With A Bit Of Magic
by FireEdge
Summary: FE9. After a chance meeting between her friend Geoffrey and her pupil Nephenee, Calill takes some matters into her own hands... GeoffreyNephenee.
1. Chapter 1

Look who's back:D Aren't you all happy to see me? Yes? No? Doesn't matter!

Oscar: So, what will this story be about?

FireEdge: Geoffrey and Nephenee. Together. Which means romance. And there's Calill in here, too (man, she's funny).

Oscar: Let me guess, Calill is playing the matchmaker?

FireEdge: Maybe… Yes... sort of… Either way, this is pretty random, and it just kinda popped into my head after I got Calill's supports with Geoffrey and Nephenee. I couldn't resist writing it. :)

Oscar: Well, let's hope it turns out good then!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

**With A Bit Of Magic**

**Chapter 1**

"Nephenee!" Calill called, walking through the many tents that were set up. "Nephenee! Where are you, missy?" Approaching Nephenee's tent, she heard the flap rustle and a pair of green eyes stared at her.

"Tsk, why are you hiding in there, my dear?" the sage demanded, her slender arms crossed across her chest, one purple-clad toe tapping the dry dirt beneath her.

"Well… It's going to be my first day without my helmet. I ain—I'm not ready!" she replied nervously. Calill's blue eyes bore into Nephenee's.

"If I recall correctly, you were fine with taking that hideous thing off a few days ago! Why are you shy all of a sudden?" The shadowy face from within the tent frowned uncertainly.

"It was easier to say than to do it… I mean, now that I've took it off, and I'm about to walk out; I feel all nervous-like," she replied. Calill gave a small empathetic smile. Nephenee was still somewhat afraid of what the city folk would think of her.

"Nephenee, look around. There's hardly anyone here. There's only Brom and a few soldiers wandering about. Why don't you come out and get used to walking outside without hiding your pretty little face?" Calill asked kindly. Hearing his name, Brom ambled over to Nephenee's tent.

"Howdy, Miss Calill. What's going on here?" Spotting Nephenee hiding in her tent, Brom smiled. "Are you tryin' to get her out of her tent without her helmet? She's been talking 'bout it for awhile now, but she says that she ain't got the guts for it." From inside, Nephenee nodded vigorously.

"Maybe I should wait another few days—"

"Buck up, missy! I've been teaching you how to act like a true lady for nearly a month now!" Calill chided. "Your speech has improved and your accent is much lighter now! You can apply make-up and you've been able to look those city people in the eye when you have to talk to them. However, you can't take off your helmet and show off your beauty?"

"I-I'm sorry, Calill—" Nephenee started apologetically.

"Don't just apologize! Get yourself out of there right now! I want to see you walk down to the dining tent with us and get your breakfast. And you'll hold your head up high all the while!" Calill ordered in a very commanding tone, one that you couldn't refuse. Grinning all the while, Brom added,

"And you should smile too, Nephenee! Remember what we were talking about the other day? Smiiile! Then all the young fellas won't stop staring at ya!" Inside, Nephenee blushed, not entirely sure what to say to that.

"Exactly, my dear Brom. I'm glad at least _someone_ here is being sound!" With that, Calill pushed the tent flaps out of the way with one hand and with the other, she reached in and grabbed Nephenee's arm. With strength that betrayed her fragile looks, the blonde sage hauled the girl out of the tent.

So surprised was she, that Nephenee came stumbling forward, her green hair flying around her as she almost fell. Regaining her balance, she stared nervously at the ground, looking at everyone from the corners of her eyes. The people walking around didn't _seem_ to be giving her funny looks. A few of the male soldiers clad in Begnion's armour did give her a few appreciative stares. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Aw, look at you Nephenee! You look so pretty. It's just like magic! Shame that we have to wear all this armour. You'd look so nice if you could wear some real clothes!" Brom commented with a smile.

"Oh, I know! If only you weren't a soldier! Now, if you were a mage!" Calill added enthusiastically.

"But, I like using a lance! It's real easy and I've finally gotten the hang of it and everything!" protested the young halberdier.

"Haha, don't worry Nephenee! I was only kidding!" The sage waved a gloved hand at the young woman. "Anyway, take a look around you. No one's laughing, right? If anything, they're admiring you! What did I say?" Nephenee took another glance around and realized that Calill was correct.

"I guess you're right, Calill—"

"Of course I'm right!" the sage interrupted. "Now, for the real test, let's go have our breakfast." With that, she set off down the camp, heading towards the centre of the jumble of tents.

As they walked, Calill steadily reminded her pupil about eating properly and to not make slurping sounds while drinking. Nephenee nodded, listening intently as to try and block out the stares she was receiving. At first, she didn't really mind, since before they were people she didn't know. But, now there were some of the units that she fought alongside with during battle that were giving her looks. For example, she recognized the blond knight and fuchsia-haired sniper following her with their eyes. The knight was especially enjoying her it seemed. Barely suppressing a blush from all the attention that she was receiving, the halberdier was glad when the dining tent came into view.

Ducking inside after Calill, she let out a sigh. Inside the tent, it was much more crowded than outside, but almost everyone was too preoccupied with their food to notice her. Half of them left the tent as soon as they retrieved their breakfast as to escape the chaos; they didn't have time to stare at some random girl coming in.

Taking her place in line, Nephenee relaxed considerably. Turning to Calill, she was about to say that she was starting to get used to it, but then she realized that the older woman was gazing intently at something. Looking over the sage's shoulder curiously, she followed Calill's line of sight. All she saw was General Ike with the princess and one of her retainers. Titania and Soren were also seated at the wooden table with them. What was so interesting about them?

"Calill? Is something the matter?" Nephenee decided to ask. The sage started and turned to look at Nephenee over her shoulder.

"Hmm? Oh, ah, no it's nothing. I was just thinking," the blonde woman answered with a shake of her head. "Well! It looks like it's our turn!" Advancing forward, Calill accepted a bowl of thick stew and a roll of crusty bread and stepped out of the way.

"Here you go!" Mist said cheerily, handing Nephenee the same thing. Nephenee smiled and nodded in thanks. Whenever Ike's younger sister was serving breakfast, most people seemed to be in a better mood. "Oh! You're not wearing your helmet! Did you take it off because of the weather? It really is hot outside! Oops, have to serve the next person! But you look real nice, Nephenee!" With that, the brown-haired girl turned to give Brom his breakfast.

"See, you were just complimented! Didn't it make you feel good about yourself?" asked Calill as they left the tent.

"Y-Yeah. It did," Nephenee replied with a genuine smile.

"Oh, and there's your smile! All the young men will be following you around like lost puppies in no time!"

"Wh-What! N-No! You're embarrassing me, Calill!" protested Nephenee, a horrified look on her face.

"No, I am certainly not! You shouldn't be embarrassed by your good looks! I'm just telling you the truth!" Calill stated offhandedly. Nephenee shook her head.

"But it ai—it isn't true!" She was trying to protest so desperately that she didn't notice that someone was walking towards her. Well, she noticed when said person rammed right into her and her breakfast ended up on the ground. Luckily, none of it had gotten on her.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" The man who had bumped into her exclaimed. Nephenee took one look at him and quickly realized that he was part of the Crimean army, and also from the city.

"Uh… um…" she stammered, not entirely sure what to say. She couldn't talk to him! He'd laugh at the way she talked, no matter what Calill said about her improvements.

"Geoffrey!" Calill cried. Nephenee turned to Calill in surprise. She knew who this man was? "Really now, you should watch where you're walking! You're supposed to catch young ladies, not make them nearly fall!"

"Calill! I didn't realize that you were there!" Geoffrey answered with a small smile.

"Well, don't just make small talk with me! Fix the problem that you just made! Letting poor Nephenee standing there gawking at her breakfast, while you ignore her and talk to me! Be considerate, man!" scolded Calill with a scowl, an eyebrow cocked at the paladin.

Flushing with embarrassment, he quickly returned his attention to the green-haired girl in front of him.

"Er, I apologize for what I did, uh, Nephenee, was it? Here, you can have my share. I just acquired it and I haven't eaten it yet," he said, not entirely sure what to say. When Nephenee still continued to stare at the ground and not answer him, he frowned. "Uh, is something wrong?"

"Tsk! Answer him, missy! You have a nice young man here, trying to apologize and offering you his breakfast. At least thank him for the food and forgive him for running into you," Calill said reprovingly. Now it was Nephenee's turn to turn red. Her Ma had taught her better than that!

"Th-Thank you…" she answered, taking the bowl and roll from him hesitantly, not looking him in the face.

"Look up, you!" Calill snapped, watching her carefully. "Don't let my hard work go down the gutters!"

Taking in a deep breath, she forced her chin up and looked Geoffrey square in the eyes. Nephenee then realized that he was one of the princess's retainers. She was practically talking to a noble! Was he like those other nobles? All snobby and looking down their noses at country folk.

"I apologize again, I should've watched where I was going," Geoffrey said once more, not really understanding what was going on between Calill and the girl in front of him.

"Uh… It's alright… It was my fault, too," Nephenee replied slowly, making sure that every word was pronounced clearly and without bad grammar. It was hard for her to keep eye contact with the paladin. She wasn't sure why, but it wasn't just because of the fact that he was from the city and of high status. Perhaps it was something about his bearing and looks.

"Ah, I should get going, I suppose. I'll talk to you later, Calill," the paladin said as a bit of an awkward silence ensued. Letting his eyes return to Nephenee he spoke, "It was nice meeting you, minus the circumstances of course. Have a nice day."

_Hmm, it seems that my dear friend must have been in very deep in thought for him to have run into us like that! I'll have to have a chat with him, _Calill thought to herself as she watched the young man walk away. Turning her attention to Nephenee, she found the girl staring at the food in her hands.

"Well, missy, we have a lot to talk about," she started, walking back to Nephenee's tent. "For one, what did I say about looking someone in the eye when you're talking to them? You must show confidence! Don't be a meek little girl, be proud of who you are… …"

* * *

Well! That's the end of the first chapter! Not too interesting, I suppose, but I think it was a good way of laying out the characters. The only aspect that I'm worried about is probably the characters. I'm not too concerned about how I portrayed Calill and Brom, but Geoffrey was a little awkward. Nephenee might've been a little less confident than she should be, but I think I'll just make her build it up as the story goes along. 

Oscar: Anyway, please review and tell us what you think! Hopefully, she'll have an update up soon!

--FireEdge--


	2. Chapter 2

Well, here I am with the next chapter! This took a little be longer than I thought it would, but, it's better than nothing right?

Oscar: At least it didn't take you more than a month.

FireEdge: That's always good. Also, I hope you all agree with the way I've decided on showing Geoffrey. It was hard for me to get a grasp on his personality (from what I've seen in the game), so I'm improvising a little.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

**With A Bit Of Magic**

**Chapter 2**

The warm night was silent, save for the chirps of crickets. The dark navy sky was speckled with little stars and a half moon graced its features; there was not a cloud to be seen in sight. Even if the air was heavy and smelt like metal, leather and sweat, Geoffrey still found this evening to be very relaxing.

In his hands, he held an arrow. The fletching was tattered, but the rest of the arrow was still in good form. Balanced on one knee was a small knife, feathers and glue. Picking up the knife, he began to carefully pry the old feathers out from their sockets. So intent was he on his task, he didn't notice someone settle across from him, on the other side of the small fire he had built behind his tent.

"Ah, you _are_ talented, Geoffrey," Calill spoke, stroking her chin with a manicured finger. Geoffrey's hand stopped momentarily, but he didn't startle; years of training made him learn not to jump when surprised. Not taking his eyes off of his work, he spoke,

"Thank you, Calill. To wield a weapon properly, one must know how the weapon works, and how it is built. When I was a page, my teachers taught me how to make weapons; from fletching arrows, to forging sword blades."

"Knight training must have been tough," remarked the sage. "Though, not so tough that you passed and became such a great knight! Or perhaps, that is why you _are _such a remarkable knight." The paladin couldn't help but smile.

"Many thanks for the compliments, but I'm not so worthy of such a title." Calill frowned, watching the man in front of her. He was usually a humble person, but he definitely seemed a little dejected today.

"Well, I'm sure you probably know why I'm here tonight," she said, settling her skirts about her carefully as she crossed one leg over the other. Still without straying off his arrow, Geoffrey answered,

"I can make a guess, but I don't think I really know what you want to talk about."

"Not too chatty today, are you?" replied the sage. "No matter, I'll get you talking soon enough. So, my dear friend, why were you so distant today? I've never seen you so inattentive that you'd walk into someone!" At this, Geoffrey finally put down his arrow, and carefully removed the tools from his knee. His soft turquoise eyes looked up to meet her clear blue ones.

"Well… this morning, I finally came to a realization. I knew that it was there all along, but I tried to deny it. I couldn't any longer, and I've decided to move on, but it's harder than I thought it'd be…" Calill didn't need him to say anything else. It was evident what he spoke of.

Watching as he started to pick up his arrow and turn it between his fingers, Calill couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for him. The paladin before her was suffering from a classic romantic tragedy: unrequited love. Though she would like nothing more than to see Geoffrey happy, she had to think of the feelings of Elincia, also. Only a complete dunce would not be able to see the clear affections that the princess held for their general. Ike was a very lucky man.

"Of course it must be hard for you! You are giving up the love of your life!" Calill answered, not entirely sure what else she could say to console him. "But… you're a strong person to have finally let go. It may take some time, but you'll get through this. Then, before you know it, you just might even fall in love again!" She hoped that her last comment would brighten his mood.

"Perhaps… though I highly doubt it."

"Don't be that way! Princess Elincia may be one of a kind, but there are more fish in the sea! Don't insult the other woman out there by thinking that she's the only 'perfect' one!" snapped Calill.

"Uh… I-I'm sorry, Calill. I shouldn't be acting this way, I know," Geoffrey stammered out, pink with embarrassment. "Maybe we should both retire; I think I'll be better in the morning." Seeing that the conversation was finished, Calill stood carefully and brushed off her skirts.

"Well then, good night, Geoffrey." With that, she left. Watching her go, he sighed. How could she think that he'd be able to fall in love again? He knew that she was most likely right, but at the moment it was hard to believe. Elincia had always been the only girl he'd ever been interested in, from when he'd first met her so long ago as young children. His heart had been so set on her that he'd denied all others who admired him.

Picking up his tools, he started to carefully stow them away. Once he finished, he took a small pail of water and doused the fire, kicking on some dirt as an extra precaution. Feeling downhearted and weary, he slowly walked back to the front of his tent, his head bowed. As he turned the corner of the small structure, he felt someting solid bump into him.

"Oh, I-I'm sorry…" a voice mumbled, recovering from the collision. Somewhat surprised, Geoffrey looked down to see the girl that he had met earlier that day.

"Ah—" He was about to say something, mostly about that morning, but the green-headed girl had already turned and started to rapidly walk away. "Uh…" Frozen with his mouth half-open, he stared at the retreating back.

_Well… That was certainly strange. _The paladin had never met such an odd girl. She seemed so shy and quiet, how had she found herself to be in the company of Calill? But she was quite pretty, his mind added absently. Geoffrey hadn't seemed to notice that his brain had made that comment, for he turned into his quarters and got ready to sleep. However, he felt that his depressed mood was somewhat lifted and he slept a peaceful and dreamless slumber.

* * *

"Well, well, my dear knight. You seem to be in better humour today," the blonde sage chimed, settling herself on the top of a nearby barrel. Geoffrey smiled, as he began to buckle on his chest plate. 

"Yes, indeed I am. I think a good night's rest did do me some good," he replied, tightening a strap and folding it under the steel buckle. "By the way, I ran into that friend of yours last night. The one I bumped into yesterday morning."

"Oh, really?" Calill inquired, raising a brow delicately. Nodding, Geoffrey pulled on his left gauntlet.

"Why was she out so late? General Ike employs her as a main unit; she should be getting enough rest."

"You're one to talk, my friend! You're the one who was up all night sighing over your lost love," she retorted, rolling her eyes. Normally, she wouldn't have said such a biting remark, but the sage knew that Geoffrey would be able to take that comment. She wasn't sure how she knew it, considering the short amount of time since he had given up on Elincia, but she just did. And after all, how could she be wrong? She never had been before.

"Hmm," the knight mumbled, focused on his stubborn gauntlet as it wouldn't buckle on right. As suspected, he didn't even flinch. "Ah! There we go!" Calill sighed; it seemed that Geoffrey hadn't even heard her.

Hearing the call to line up and prepare for battle, the sage stood and nodded to her companion before heading off. Geoffrey pulled on his second gauntlet and ran over to where the horses were kept. Jamming on his helmet, he swung onto his white mount. Making sure that his steel bow was there, he hefted a silver lance from a nearby rack.

"Where would you like me positioned, General?" Geoffrey asked as he approached Ike. The blue-haired mercenary thought for a moment, looking around the battlefield. They were approaching the base of Marhaut Range, and the treacherous cliffs looked menacing.

"Take the far left path. I'll be sending some more troops to back you up in a second," Ike decided, already turning to give his next set of orders.

Getting a better grip on his weapon, the paladin nudged his horse towards the left area. Approaching an ascending path, Geoffrey looked up the cliff. So far it seemed quiet, but experience told him that there was an ambush waiting for him. As his instincts predicted, a cat laguz suddenly leapt from the cliff above him.

Rearing up, his stallion's front hooves kicked at the cat in front of him, whinnying ferociously. The laguz let out an angry yowl as the warhorse's sharp hooves dug into its shoulder. Twisting the reins to the left, his horse turned his upper torso clear as Geoffrey thrust his lance down into the back of the cat. Gritting his teeth, he yanked his spear back and stabbed again. The cat was quick, however, and managed to jump back; his weapon just grazed it. Then, with a strength and speed belonging only to laguz, the beast sprang at Geoffrey.

Scrambling away, his mount suffered a light slash from the cat's claws. The paladin's mind briefly wondered where the others were as he hooked his lance through the back of his saddle and pulled his horse further back as he switched out his bow. Steering with his knees, Geoffrey deftly nocked an arrow and let loose. Before the arrow had hit its mark, he had already started to nock the next one. With two arrows protruding from its body, the laguz still charged forward, thought not as lithely; stumbling slightly. Before the cat could land, it coughed and collapsed to the ground below with a javelin jutting out of its chest.

Heaving a sigh of relief, Geoffrey lowered his bow and turned to see who his saviour was. There stood Nephenee.

"Thank you," he said, hiding his surprise. Who would've thought he'd run into her again?

"Uh… It was nothing… Just doin' my job…" she replied quietly, stepping forward and pulling out her javelin. He noticed that she had a slight accent. It wasn't unpleasant; rather, it felt like it belonged with her voice. Hearing more footsteps, he turned his head to see Rhys and Mia. Finally, more troops.

"Sir Geoffrey! Boss said we're supposed to follow your orders, and we're to head to the summit," Mia shouted as the two approached.

"Let's move out then." Giving a nod, the small group ran up the slope. It was obvious that the enemy knew they were there, and it was better to rush them and draw them out then risk them jumping out at them when they were unprepared.

Geoffrey trotted behind Nephenee, letting the halberdier take the lead. He could back her up with his bow. Suddenly, they heard a rumbling sound and the ground beneath them started to tremble gently. The sounds of crumbling and grinding rocks sounded louder, and glancing up they could see a large boulder rolling down towards them.

"Holy cow!" Mia exclaimed, already scrambling out of the way. The auburn-haired bishop wasn't far behind. Geoffrey's horse neighed and reared up, somewhat spooked. Enemies it could deal with, but a falling rock? That was a different story.

Trying to control his horse, he could see that the boulder was coming alarmingly close. He had to run now or he wouldn't get out of the way. Just as he was starting to turn, he noticed that Nephenee was having difficulty with her footing on the shaking earth. On foot, she might not make it out of the boulder's path.

Without a second thought, his arm lowered and he caught hold of her arm. With a grunt, he half hauled her up behind him.

Startled, Nephenee could just register what was happening as her upper body was hanging off Geoffrey's saddle. Eventually, she finally realized what was going on, and she barely got a grasp onto the back of the saddle as the stallion leapt away. Though she dropped her lance, she managed to clumsily climb up behind the paladin. She had only ridden on a horse a few times before, and she nearly fell off as the horse started off into a gallop, aiming for the side of a nearby overhang.

When the horse made the sharp angular turn, Nephenee let out a yelp, and involuntarily grabbed hold of Geoffrey's waist. Noticing what she had just done, she was about to let go, but when she tried she was very close to careening into the ground. So, instead, she had to hold on tighter. She could feel heat rising to her cheeks, feeling the warmth of the paladin's back against her. The girl couldn't help but think how comfortable it was, but quickly snapped herself out of her reverie. She shouldn't be thinking like that! Especially on a battle field!

In a few moments, Geoffrey pulled up his mount, and they could hear the boulder rumble down the path and break on another mound of rocks. They both let out a heaving sigh. Then suddenly realizing that her arms were still wrapped around the paladin's waist, she quickly let go, trying to put as much distance as possible between them. Unfortunately, she put a little too much distance, and she tumbled off the tall horse.

"Oh! Are you okay?" Geoffrey cried, he had barely noticed that her arms had been around him, though he did vaguely feel the absence of the pleasant warmth. Swinging off with practiced ease, he knelt next to the halberdier.

Groaning, she sat up and rubbed her thigh. She had landed on her side and she could feel the stinging of cuts down her right leg. Feeling numb, but in one piece, she looked up through the opening of her helmet. Seeing Geoffrey's face so close, and full of concern made her face flush uncontrollably.

"Er… Uh…" Stumbling for words that wouldn't form, she felt much more relief than when they had escaped the boulder when Rhys and Mia ran towards them. As Rhys came to her side, Geoffrey backed away.

When the tingling feeling of being healed started to seep away, she warily stood up and shook out her stiff limbs.

"Thanks, Rhys. I feel much better now," she said to the bishop.

"Not a problem, that's what I'm here for," Rhys replied with a serene smile. "But we should probably start heading up again. We're starting to fall behind…"

"Yeah, now that that boulder's out of the way, we can go take out that ballista," chimed in Mia, looking up the range. "I think it's aiming at Jill and Haar, and they're busy taking out that big wyvern knight guy up there."

"Good idea. Let's go, and watch your step!" Geoffrey nodded curtly, remounting. He wanted to talk to Nephenee still, to apologize for the brusque rescue he had made. However, the battle was more important; he would find time to speak with her after this was all over.

* * *

Wandering through the bustling camp, Geoffrey glanced from left to right, but couldn't make out who he was looking for. It was difficult enough to try and find anyone at this time, when everybody was setting up their tents and recuperating from the just ended battle. He could see a large group of soldiers putting up the large mess tent; maybe he'd find her there. 

But, after waiting for an hour after the tent was up and running (and taking his supper while he was at it), there was still no sign of the green-haired girl. The aftermath of the battle was really starting to catch up to him, he felt more tired by the minute. Returning to his tent and falling down on his cot was a very pleasant thought at the moment, but he continued to force himself to walk around the site.

He wasn't entirely sure why he wanted to talk to Nephenee so badly. However, he felt that if he didn't then he would feel guilty with himself. What for? He was not entirely sure. Maybe it was because she had fallen off his horse when he had pulled up so sharply. It must've hurt quite a bit if she had let Rhys heal her.

Coming out of his thoughts, he realized that he had reached the perimeter of the encampment. About to turn around and start another round, he spotted something move at the base of a tree in the near distance. Could it be an enemy scout? Debating whether or not to go back and grab a weapon or risk going unarmed, he moved a little closer.

From his position he could make out that the figure had a small build, and didn't seem to have any large weapons on it. The person was either a mage or perhaps a spy armed with a few daggers. Groping at his belt, he felt his short machete that he used for everyday use. It would be good enough; his sheer size should be able to take the person down if needed. Anyway, if he went back now, the person might escape before he returned.

Crouching down a little lower, Geoffrey snuck through the tall grass and clung to the sparsely spread out trees. Thankfully, the shadowy figure seemed to be preoccupied with something on the tree. Soon, he was less than fifteen feet away, and he could just make out who the stranger was. To his surprise, it was Nephenee.

_What is she doing out here? _Slinking in closer, he hid behind another tree; sneaking glances from around the thick trunk. He saw that she was holding a small bag; it was bulging with little bumps. Her other hand was reaching into the branches. A few seconds later, he saw her carefully put a small nut into the bag. She was picking… nuts?

In a few minutes, Nephenee seemed to be satisfied and she tied the bag with a piece of cord. Before leaving, she picked one more and popped it into her mouth. Turning away, she started back to the camp, humming softly to herself.

Watching her leave, he waited until she was almost to the camp before he moved himself. By the time that he entered the base himself, she was no where in sight. By now, he really was too exhausted to go find her again. Maybe he should've just talked to her when he spotted her by that tree… But he didn't want to make it seem like he had been spying on her or something along the lines of that.

Half stumbling back to his tent, he let out a yawn. Opening the tent flap, he stepped inside and nearly tripped. Looking down, he saw a small lumpy sack. It looked very, very familiar. Picking it up, he saw a small note attached.

_Thanks for saving me. The beedle nuts are for you, I think you'll like them.  
Be careful, the shells are real sticky, so hold on to the edges. _

_-Nephenee_

Staring at the note in wonder, he slowly moved to his bed and sat down. Putting the small piece of paper down, he pulled open the bag and glanced inside. He could make out the dark round nuts. Reaching inside, he carefully pulled out one of the little nuts, holding on to the top and bottom of the edges. Despite the darkness of the tent, the small lamp on the ground that he had previously lit gave off light, letting him see the light sheen of sticky oil on the shell.

He wasn't exactly sure how he was supposed to eat it. Was the shell edible? Or did he have to crack it open? Then, he remembered seeing Nephenee pick one off the tree and eating it right away. Shrugging, he put the small nut into his mouth and bit down tentatively.

The sticky substance on the nut had a sour tang to it and instantly melted off the outsides. The shell itself was only moderately hard and easily broke under his teeth, and tasted almost like roasted almonds. Geoffrey didn't expect what was inside the nut; its texture was quite soft and smooth and was creamy in flavour.

Swallowing the rest of the nut, he glanced at the bag again. They really were tasty, though they made his mouth dry. Retying the sack and putting it down, he took his water flask and took a quick swig. Then, lying down on his bed with a happy sigh, his eyes closed and he started to slumber off.

_I really need to thank her now… But, if she's too shy to give me that gift in person, then it'll be hard to get her to talk to me. Maybe Calill will know something…_ He thought to himself before he finally succumbed to sleep, but just before that, he unconsciously added, s_he is quite pretty…

* * *

_

Hah, I finally finished. Ended up being a little longer than I thought it'd be (which is a good thing for you guys), but I liked how it turned out. I think the beginning was a bit rushed, with Geoffrey letting go of Elincia that quickly and all. But, I didn't feel like writing about him moping over his loss. I had a lot of fun writing the rest of it (post Calill scene), though. So, I hope you all like it.

Oscar: Please review!

--FireEdge--


	3. Chapter 3

Hey! Sorry it took me so long to write the next chapter, but the last three weeks has been a real pain. My teachers decided to give us three major projects all due in the same week, so I've been going nuts with those. Then, right after that they dumped two more projects and three tests on us… So, yeah, school's been dragging me down. But, I'm forcing myself to make an update (before I head on a school trip for three days)!

Oscar: Good for you!

FireEdge: Now, on to the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

**With A Bit Of Magic**

**Chapter 3**

"The princess is going into battle with us?" Nephenee asked, shocked. Calill nodded, leafing through her Elthunder tome.

"Yes, that's right. Geoffrey told me himself this morning! I think that this is a glorious event," she replied, closing her book with a snap. "It'll be very inspiring for the Crimean army to see Elincia in battle. I, myself, would be delighted to know that the queen I fight for is a fighter and not some little sissy!" Nephenee couldn't help but give a tiny smile. Calill always did look on the bright side of things. If only she were that enthusiastic.

"But… it'd be hard for her, too. I mean, she was raised as a lady, not a warrior. I wonder if she'll be able to hold her own out there," Nephenee said, straightening her helmet on her head.

"Oh, nothing to worry about! Her retainers are sticking to her side like fly on honey! And General Ike will be there, too," Calill answered with confidence.

"General Ike, too? Wouldn't he be busy with giving out orders and such?" she inquired, walking forward towards where they were to gather for their commands. Calill grinned, looking at the girl with mock incredulity.

"My dear! Have you been blind? It is obvious that our valued leader is smitten with the princess. He may not show it, he is really good at hiding his emotions, but it's there. Believe me."

"… Really? I didn't notice that. But, I don't really keep track of everything that's happening. My Ma used to tell me not to nose around in other people's business," Nephenee shrugged.

"Such a good girl, you are. I, on the other hand, can't keep my pretty little nose out of all this gossip. It's simply too exciting a world for me to leave. Ah, well, we should really hurry. Come along now, Nephenee."

As they rushed to the gathering square, Calill contemplated over her inquisitiveness. She didn't mind if people called her nosy or anything of the like. Knowing all the rumours and gossip going around came in handy, and prying was also a handy tool. For if she did not possess these instruments, life would be much too dull. Furthermore, she wouldn't have been able to figure out that Geoffrey was beginning to develop an infatuation. Oh yes, this would be very worthwhile.

* * *

Nephenee let out a long sigh of exhaustion. The battle had lasted for many hours now. There just seemed to be too many reinforcements coming in. However, the fight was slowly drawing to a close. They had already reached the base of the hill where the fort stood. Soon, Ike and some of the other troops would be taking on the paladin guarding the gates. For now, she had a little bit of a break. 

Looking around the vast battlefield, she could see a few of the other units engaged in small skirmishes with the remaining enemy. A larger pack of the army was nearly at the fort. Catching a glint of metal from the corner of her eyes, she turned to find the source. There, nearly thirty feet away she saw Geoffrey fighting off another paladin.

The two's lances clashed against each other, trying to pierce their target. Pulling back, Geoffrey's horse reared up, its sharp hooves lashing out at the opponent. The enemy knight's horse whinnied and shied away. Taking this chance, Geoffrey turned his lance in his hand and drove down with all the force he could muster. Yanking his spear out, the other rider fell, limp, from the saddle. The horse neighed and galloped off, free from its rider.

Wiping the blade of his spear on the dead man's cape, Geoffrey straightened in his saddle and looked around; trying to spot any more enemies in the vicinity. The aqua-haired man's eyes eventually rested on Nephenee, and she started; turning her head away. She tried to make herself look busy with retying her shield buckle, but she could still feel his eyes staring at her. Had he caught her staring? Wait, she wasn't staring! Feeling her cheeks flush, her mind rapidly began to convince herself that she was merely observing his battle, not gazing at him in… _that_ way.

Taming the colour on her face, she glanced up through her lashes to see that Geoffrey had stopped looking at her and was heading up the hill. Letting out a breath, she stopped fidgeting with her buckler and also made her way towards Fort Pinell. All the while, she wondered if he had received her gift.

* * *

After the defeat of Bertram, the army entered the fort. They started searching for enemies, prisoners, provisions and supplies. When they had secured the castle, they would head back to the main camp and check up on the hawks' progress. 

Her battered steel lance still in hand, Nephenee warily strolled down the narrow corridor. The stronghold was very large and the only other signs of people were the echoing footsteps from nearby rooms or hallways. The relative silence was unnerving, and she was starting to wish that she had found a partner to wander around with. Old, dark castles always gave her the spooks; she was afraid that there might be a ghost waiting to jump out at her.

Gulping, she kept going; once she finished investigating this area, she could head back and wait for their departure. So concentrated was she on ignoring the dark shadowy corners of the hall, that she didn't hear the sounds of clinking armour approaching from a nearby passage. It wasn't until she felt a heavy gauntleted hand pressing down on her shoulder did she realize that she had company.

Letting out a startled yelp, Nephenee half jumped half turned and stumbled back into a wall. She dropped her old spear and she could hear the wood crack on the hard stone floor. A few feet away from her stood Geoffrey, hand still extended in the air with a look of surprise still written across his face.

"Ge-Geoffrey!" she gasped, recovering her composure. At first, he didn't answer, but he bent down and gingerly picked up her lance. His hand expertly felt up and down the shaft, eyes flickering rapidly over the weapon.

"You should get a new lance; this one will break on you any second. It wouldn't do well for you to be suddenly unarmed on the battlefield," remarked the paladin, holding the lance out to her. Hesitantly, she took the weapon from him.

"Er, I didn't have any time to see the merchants and get a new weapon," she murmured, avoiding his gaze. "Um… why are you here?"

"Oh, I just finished checking my section of the fort. I didn't find anything, and I was headed back when I spotted you."

"Right… Um, I still need to finish this hallway…" Nephenee replied, taking a step away from him and down the hall. Maybe he'd take the hint and go on his way. She was nervous enough without him around. Unfortunately, the paladin had different plans.

"I'll accompany you, if you don't mind," Geoffrey said, already following in her footsteps. "It's better to go around in pairs, and… you seem a little unsteady."

"Yeah… uh, sure. And I'm fine; I just don't really like big gloomy castles. I'm from the country and all, so…"

"That's understandable. If I grew up in big open fields, I'd probably be intimidated by something this large and formidable," Geoffrey answered, trying to think of a way to work in a thank you for the present he had received many nights ago. This was the first time since then that he had a chance to talk to her in private.

"… Ah, Nephenee, I wanted to say 'thank you', by the way. For those nuts," he said awkwardly. "They were really good, I've never ate anything like them."

"Oh, umm, no problem. It was just, you know, something to repay you with. 'Cause you rescued me from that giant boulder and all," Nephenee mumbled, feeling an uncomfortable yet familiar warmth in her cheeks. There she was, being thanked by a noble. If her friends back in the country saw her now, they'd be poking fun at her for months.

After her last remark, an uneasy silence fell between them and she focused on the floor in front of her. In a couple of minutes, they reached the end of the corridor and they stopped.

"Looks like we're finished," Geoffrey stated, looking around carefully. "Let's head back… And, if you want, you can stop by my tent later. I have a spare lance in there that I don't need. Muston's usually pretty busy, it'd be pretty difficult to talk to him, and time-consuming."

"O-Okay, thanks."

* * *

She couldn't believe that she had decided to go. Though she had the guts to actual make for Geoffrey's tent, she didn't have the courage to go alone. Strolling beside her, with a peculiar smile, was Calill. The halberdier had practically begged her to come along, flaunting every excuse possible in her face. The blonde had nearly refused, but then she decided that this could actually be quite amusing and accepted instead. 

Musing over what could happen, the pair soon reached the blue-haired paladin's tent. Geoffrey was standing outside his tent, holding a silver lance in his hand. Turning his head, he saw them approach and he lifted a hand in greeting. As they settled in front of him, he offered out the spear to Nephenee.

"Here, this is the lance I was talking about. I don't think it'll be too heavy," he said, as she took it from him. Indeed, the lance was quite light and felt good in her hands. It was a little odd to feel cool metal beneath her fingers rather than wood, but it was a pleasant feeling.

Taking a step back, away from them, she gave the lance a twirl to test its weight in her hands. It spun perfectly and settled nicely. She landed the butt of the weapon into the dirt and smiled.

"Thank you, it's perfect," she replied, looking shyly into his aqua eyes. He gave a smile back. At this moment, Calill's devious mind popped up with an idea. She noticed that Nephenee was standing barely a foot away from a nearby fire. That was all she needed.

Turning her back for a moment, she opened the Fire tome in her hand and muttered something under her breath. Quickly pointing at the hem of Nephenee's skirts, she made sure that neither of them noticed her actions. Soon, a bit of fire was burning the fabric. The country lass immediately noticed and jumped in astonishment.

"Oh my! I'll put that out!" Calill said, immediately stepping up. One heeled shoe quenched the tiny flame, but with this movement, she also 'accidentally' pushed Nephenee in the other direction: towards Geoffrey.

With a gasp, Nephenee felt herself fall and suddenly she landed against a firm yet soft wall. Geoffrey wasn't wearing his chestplate, and the coarse cotton clung tightly to his muscular chest, which she could feel the warmth of against her cheek. Flushing, she pushed back and started to stammer an apology, her head down. The scent of his clean shirt still lingered in her nostrils and she realized that it smelled quite nice. Of course, this only caused the blush to deepen and she hastily shook that thought from her head.

"It's nothing. You just accidentally stepped in the fire, that's all," Geoffrey said, a bit of pink on his face, also. "Erm, maybe we should all retire now?"

"That sounds like a splendid idea!" Calill chimed, taking Nephenee's arm. "Let's go, missy! Good night, dear Geoffrey!" Pulling the other woman along, Calill let her satisfied smile linger on her face. As soon as they were out of sight of Geoffrey's tent, she let go of Nephenee's arm and they walked in silence.

A few moments later, however, Nephenee came to a startling realization: she didn't step into the fire. She was positive. In fact, she was quite a safe distance from it, well, safe enough. Then she noticed the red book in Calill's hand.

"… CALILL!" she exclaimed, but quieted down when people started giving her looks.

"Tsk, it's not very ladylike to yell, Nephenee," came her reply. Blushing with embarrassment, Nephenee glowered at her friend.

"You did that! Why did you do that?"

"Why did I do _what_?" Calill asked innocently, but the smirk on her lips destroyed that image.

"You know what I'm talking about! You did that on purpose!" Nephenee continued, frowning.

"And you liked it, didn't you?" she answered, stroking her book, not looking at the halberdier. However, she knew that the girl's face was coloured with the deepest crimson.

"Th-That's not true! It was embarrassing!" the green-haired girl retorted defiantly. And that wasn't a lie. It truly was embarrassing. Anyway, where did Calill get off to; setting her on fire!

"Don't try and shirk the truth! You know as well as I that you're fond of my knight of a friend!" The sage continued to smile, and finally glanced at the flustered girl beside her. "Not a bad choice, too. We just need to put some more make-up on you and perhaps find you a pretty dress, and he'll be falling head-over-heels for you in no time at all!"

"CALILL!" Oh yes, genius she was, indeed.

* * *

Well, it's a little short, but I think I left it off pretty well. It was high time that Calill showed up and… cause some mischief. Hehehe. 

Oscar: Now, now, don't be sadistic.

FireEdge: I'm not. Really. Anyway, as if Calill could've worked from the shadows secretly, anyway…

Oscar: Right…

FireEdge: Anyhow, I doubt that I'll have an update for at least two weeks; what with my trip and then the homework catching-up stuff… But, I'll try my best to get up a chapter soon! And until next time, please review!

--FireEdge--


	4. Chapter 4

Heelllo! I'm finally free of large amounts of homework (for now)! So I can write! Yay!

Oscar: That's good. You'd better take advantage of your time. You know, before your teachers start to shovel on end of the year stuff on you.

FireEdge: Don't remind me… Anyway, on to the chapter (sorry it took so long)!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

**With A Bit Of Magic**

**Chapter 4**

Nephenee drew in a sharp breath slowly, her upper body doubled over. With one arm propping herself up against the tower wall, her long green hair fell down around her face as she dry-heaved. She hadn't really eaten anything that day, but it didn't matter, the sight she had just witnessed was forcing her stomach to throw up anything it could; food or otherwise.

A mere hour ago, they had infiltrated Gritnea Tower. She had not known what awaited her inside until she had seen the basement herself. Even before they entered the stairwell leading to the basement, the tower had the most putrid and disgusting stench she had ever smelt. It was as if dead carrion, rotten food, animal dung and some kind of sick odour found in alchemic labs were all mixed together. The air was heavy with an aura—that she could only identify as fear, hatred and pain—that pounded down on her as the army walked down the long winding stairs.

Even the smell couldn't match up to the sight that they came upon when they reached the bottom of those steps. The torch that someone had lit shone its light upon dozens of disfigured bodies. They didn't even resemble bodies anymore, laguz or beorc or animal. So twisted and rotten were they that they seemed like long buried corps, dug up again, that had been mutilated.

Just looking at that sight made her run up the stairs without looking back. Her stomach in her throat, she had dashed as fast as she could until she was where she now stood. She had not been the only one to have left the scene. Only the laguz, Ike and a handful of others stayed down there. They didn't stay because they could stand the scene, but because they most probably had to finish their expedition. No one could _possibly_ endure such a horrific display.

Coughing and gagging once more as she felt her stomach heave, she covered her mouth. A few seconds later, she relaxed and she took a long breath through her nose, letting out the air through her mouth slowly. Pushing locks of hair behind her ears, she carefully straightened up, and started to walk away from the side of the tower.

Though she wobbled from side to side slightly from nausea, Nephenee managed to tread gradually towards the meeting place. Ike had told them to meet there and wait for him. However, the clearing seemed to be very far away at the moment. She was so tired and she still felt very sick. Unless she was imagining it, her vision seemed somewhat blurry. Tripping over a root, she let out a grunt and sprawled on the undergrowth.

Moaning, she pushed herself up from the ground, trying to brush off the leaves and dirt clinging to her. Sitting back on her heels she let out a long and tired sigh. Maybe she shouldn't have even gone down there, but she had been too curious. Now she was feeling all woozy and it felt horrible. She tried to stand up once more, but her legs felt like lead and her arms like jelly.

Falling back against a tree trunk, she felt her eyelids droop and before she knew it, she had sunk into a deep obscurity.

* * *

Geoffrey's face was pale and grim. He never thought that something so cruel and perverse existed until he had seen the basement of that damned tower. Now he had even more of a reason to want to see Ashnard dead. Though his face seemed impassive, his fists clenched and unclenched angrily as he walked through the forest path. Livid as he was, he was still on the alert, and he was quick to spot the shine of armour and flash of bright green. 

Head snapping around, with his lance pointed in the direction where he had spotted something, he let out a gasp. Strapping his lance to his back, he ran over to the figure collapsed by the tree. Kneeling down, he put a hand to Nephenee's neck. She was breathing and her skin felt warm to his touch. She was alive. Judging by her deep and long breathing, she was asleep.

"Well, this is a funny place to fall asleep. Perhaps she overexerted herself?" he murmured to himself with an inward sigh of relief. Looking down at her face, he noticed that it looked very peaceful and innocent. It lacked the closed and suspicious look she wore while conscious. He rather liked it and he thought that if there were a smile she'd look very beautiful.

Gagging on what he had just so indiscreetly thought, he felt his cheeks heat up. Smacking his forehead, he squeezed his eyes shut and told himself to stop thinking. Blowing out a long breath, he looked back at the girl in front of him. He couldn't leave her here, and he really didn't want to wake her up. So, instead, he wrapped one arm around the small of her back and put the other one underneath her knees.

Lifting her up, he grunted as he shifted her weight on his body. Though she was lean, she was much heavier than she looked. Perhaps that was why she could wield her spears with such agility. However, her mass wasn't terribly burdening and he easily made his way back to the clearing with her in his arms.

Entering the grove, he was immediately greeted by Calill. The sage had taken one step into the tower and immediately turned on her heels and left. She had said that she didn't want to know what kind of horrors such a place held, the stench was enough for her. The blonde woman raised an eyebrow at what he held.

"What have we here?"

"I found her asleep in the thickets. I think that she collapsed from exhaustion. I noticed that she seemed a bit unsteady in battle today," Geoffrey replied coolly. Calill took only a second to process that through her mind.

"So you were watching her during the fight, then?" she asked without batting an eyelid. This remark completely knocked the paladin off-guard.

"Uhhh… N-no!" he stammered, flushing. "That's not what I meant! I-I just _noticed_ when I was surveying my surroundings! I saw other things as well! Oscar almost fell from his horse, Soren's tome was dropped in the mud when he evaded an attack, Lethe was injured by another cat laguz and there was so much more!"

"Only someone who knew that the statement was true would make such a big deal to cover it up," Calill chided, much to Geoffrey's dismay. He stood there, flabbergasted, his mouth slightly unhinged. The sage smiled serenely and knowingly. "Now, don't stand there gawking. You should take her to see Rhys; so he can make sure that it wasn't just exhaustion that she fainted from."

"Er, why don't you taker her?" he asked, trying to seem like he was indifferent to Nephenee.

"Are you daft my friend? Someone with a build such as _mine_ carry _her_? Don't be ridiculous! I'd break my bones!" the woman scoffed. "I have some things to tend to, anyways. Go on and be a good boy and make sure she gets the medical attention that she needs! I'll come to check up on her later."

With that, Calill strutted off confidently, knowing that Geoffrey would do just as she said. It was rather amusing how flustered Geoffrey and Nephenee could get when they were teased.

* * *

Entering the tent, Geoffrey settled down on Nephenee's clothes trunk, which sat near her cot. She had been asleep for nearly three hours now; but Rhys had informed him that she would be fine. Indeed, she had fainted from over exhaustion; which wasn't surprising considering the speed that they had been marching and the tough battles. Seeing the basement of Gritnea Tower couldn't have helped either. For now, all she needed was to rest. 

The paladin didn't need to be here, nothing was going to harm her in the camp and she was safe in her tent; but he felt that he _should _be with her. Maybe it was because she had this small tent to herself and that no one would be there to watch her. There was also a nagging feeling deep down inside his chest that wouldn't let him rest if he didn't know if she was alright.

_There; she's fine. She's sleeping soundly and she'll wake up tomorrow totally refreshed. Maybe a little confused, but she'd be fine, _he told himself, his turquoise eyes observing the young halberdier. _So, why am I still here?_

Deciding that thinking about the subject was too strenuous on his brain, he contented himself with watching her, letting his mind wander at will. Nephenee's long hair lay in a curtain around her, her bangs falling over her face. Her armour had been removed and now sat in a neat pile in the corner of her tent.

Absentmindedly, Geoffrey began to hum softly. He rocked back and forth slightly on the chest, feeling the weight on his feet fall forwards and backwards. The tune was an old Crimean folksong. The minstrels in the court sang it often and it was a personal favourite of the young man's. Sometimes Bastian would sing the song with his deep and strong voice, the words drawn out and echoing. It really was quite beautiful, despite being made up by some poor country songwriter.

This song always calmed him and put him in a nostalgic mood, enabling him to drift away into the vast meadows of the song. He could feel himself there; smell the crisp grassy scents and the nauseatingly sweet scents of apple blossoms. Such a peaceful place the song described. He wondered if such a place was real. Sure, he'd seen numerous beautiful gardens in the courtyards of the castle, but never had he seen someplace that resembled that of the tune.

One day he'd like to live somewhere like there. He didn't want to be confined in the castle all his life, unless Elincia needed him there. He'd like to live somewhere in the country, close to the capital, but still out of the large city. Maybe after everything was settled and Elincia was firmly settled in the Crimean throne, he'd ask her to grant him a dukedom somewhere; then he'd be able to help her and enjoy the life he wanted.

Maybe, just maybe, he might find someone to spend his time with there, too. He knew that he'd never be with Elincia, but he didn't seem to mind as much anymore. If she ever changed her mind and wanted him by her side, he was sure that he'd agree; though if she didn't he wouldn't care. But he knew that he did not want to spend the rest of his days alone.

Blue orbs lingering upon the young woman on the cot in front of him, he blushed slightly. His mind instantly became muddled and confused. _Someone to spend the rest of my life with…_ Nephenee was very pretty; any man that wasn't blind could see that. She was quiet, but brave; something she proved in battle. However, she kept to herself and he hardly knew anything about her. If only he knew more of the young woman. Why was she so shy around him, anyway? Was he so intimidating?

Letting out a sigh, he tore his gaze away and stared into the fire of the flickering oil lamp. Resuming his humming, he cleared his head and let the song envelope him.

* * *

In her deep sleep state, she was surrounded by a profound and dark blackness. She could hear no sounds, see nothing and did not smell or feel anything. The only thing that she was conscious of was that she was asleep. 

Suddenly, however, the intangible darkness she resided in was pierced. It started off as a distant buzzing that she could barely hear, but it gradually began to crescendo. Soon, Nephenee was surrounded by the sound. She had trouble putting her finger on what it was, but it was serene and soothing; very beautiful and it reminded her of home. The resonance became louder and she started to identify it. A song, it was a song being hummed softly by someone.

Who was humming? The person had a very nice way of humming the tune, it was just right. How did she know it was right? Oh yes, her Ma liked to sing this song… What was it about again…? That's right; it was about a field full of apple trees. Her Ma sang it because it was just like their backyard. How she loved to sit with her siblings on the back steps of their farmhouse, listening to her sing.

Then she became aware that the humming had ceased. Why? Unaware that the silence had started to bring her out of unconsciousness, Nephenee continued to wonder why the beautiful voice had stopped and then she realized that she was no longer seeing black. Instead, the image of the top of her tent slowly came into perspective.

Blinking slowly, she stared at the roof of the shelter. Why was she back in her tent? Wasn't she just in the forest by Gritnea Tower? Wait… hadn't she lost awareness? Nephenee could remember now; the tiredness and dizziness that had overtaken her brain. How did she end up here, anyway? Someone must've found her…

About to stir and investigate the matter, she suddenly heard the same humming start again. Except it wasn't just in her mind, it came from inside her tent, from someone sitting next to her bed.

Eyes widening in alarm, she almost jolted up, but then she decided that doing that might scare the person there. After all, he or she might just be a visitor, or maybe one of the healers. Instead, she rolled her head onto her cheek and gazed at the stranger. She took in a sharp breath and felt the blood rush to her face.

Geoffrey's head snapped around at the sound and his eyes met hers. His humming stopped and they stared at each other for what seemed like many long minutes. If she wasn't mistaken, Nephenee thought that she saw a bit of colour on his cheeks, too.

"Ah… You're awake," he said, with an awkward cough. "You were out for a few hours now…"

Sitting up on her bed so that her legs rested underneath her, she lowered her eyes to the ground. Then Calill's voice rang in her head and she forced herself to look him in the eye.

"Er… yeah, I remember… I was in the forest. Then I fell into blackness and I woke up here," the girl replied, not really sure what else to say.

"You fainted from exhaustion," Geoffrey replied. "I was headed back from the tower when I stumbled across you. We were lucky that we found you before anything befell you."

"Oh! Uh, th-thank you," she stammered, realizing that Geoffrey had once again saved her. This wasn't good. She was slowly being indebted to a nobleman! What would her Ma say to her helplessness? "Um… Have you been here—er, in my tent—long?"

"… No, I just came in to check on you. I'm happy to see that you've recovered. You should be more careful in the future," he answered, looking away, out into the dark outside her tent. "You need to take care of your health. If you faint on the battlefield, it wouldn't help anyone."

"Uh… Right, I'll remember that," the halberdier said, nodding. She looked down again, and she felt him shift uncomfortably on her clothes trunk. It seemed that he was about to get up and leave. "W-Wait!"

Indeed, he was half standing, but he slowly lowered himself again when she spoke.

"Yes?"

"Er… You… You were humming…" Nephenee started, not really sure exactly what she wanted to say. She couldn't summon up the nerve to tell him that when he hummed his voice was beautiful. The thought brought a fresh coat of colour to her cheeks.

"Oh, haha," he laughed timidly. "I was just passing the time. I apologize if that was what woke you up…"

"N-No! It was… nice. My Ma always sang that song to us." His eyebrows rose by a fraction, surprised.

"Really? I first heard it from one of the court minstrels. It's a magnificent song. I always wondered how the grasslands that the lyrics described would look like in real life. Heh, my sister always told me that I was silly for thinking too much about a little tune such as that," he said. "Oh! I'm rambling. I'm sorry. I should go, you need to rest…" The azure-haired man then stood, ready to leave.

"… Sir Geoffrey?" Nephenee asked tentatively, debating whether or not she should tell him what she was about to say next.

"Yes?" he inquired for the second time that night, turning to look over his shoulder from the entrance.

"You said you'd like to see someplace that looked like the fields of the song, right?" She had already stepped down the path, she couldn't turn back now. Her face slowly began to flush. "W-Well… If you'd like, you should visit my family's farm after all this is over. The back pastures are just like the song…"

"Oh…" His face was filled with astonishment, and he remained silent for a few seconds. Then a smile slowly spread across his handsome features. "Actually, that'd be quite enjoyable… I think I might take you up on that offer. Have a good night, Nephenee." With that, he stepped out of her tent and she could hear his footsteps crunching on the dry ground.

Once they died away, she plopped back down on her back. What had she just _done_? She had just invited a _noble_ to visit her _farm_! She was beginning to wonder if she was going insane…

Rubbing a hand over her face, she was struck with a horrifying thought. What would Calill say once she found out? Nephenee's face turned bright red; she could already hear her friend's voice and laughter. Oh yes, the sage was going to find this very amusing. And if Geoffrey did come and visit her, how would her Ma react?

It was much too late to take back her offer. But what would she do? Taking in long, deep breaths and told herself to calm down. She'd just have to take everything in stride and play it by ear later on. It was no use to worry about it now…

"I'm sure it'll all work out… I hope…"

* * *

There! I finally finished! It took me a while to think up how I should write that out, but I'm very pleased with it! Since it finally set up the scene that I've been trying to work towards. 

Oscar: But I'll bet that it'll take you forever to get your next chapter up, won't it?

FireEdge: … Don't say that… I'm going to try and get out another chapter before exams. Since I won't have time to write during that week… I'd feel bad if I made you all wait a month for an update. Hahaha…

Oscar: Please review!

--FireEdge--


	5. Chapter 5

Yup! Here I am with my update! This came out pretty fast, too (for me)!

Oscar: That's good news. Though there probably won't be a new update for at least two weeks now, will there?

FireEdge: Hahaha… no, probably not… But that's not my fault… There's still a slim chance though.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

**With A Bit Of Magic**

**Chapter 5**

"… Is it… Is it over…?" Nephenee breathed, her words barely leaving her mouth. She leaned on her silver lance, tired and weary. From beside her Calill sank to her knees, letting out a long sigh, her tome resting in her lap.

"Yes, I think it is, my dear," she answered, letting a small smile grace her painted lips. From behind her, Largo approached and lifted her up.

"Calill! We've just won the battle! How can you be sitting on the ground like that! After all, we should be celebrating! We just helped tremendously with this grand fight! If it weren't for us, General Ike would be wallowing in the dust! Bwaa haa haa haa!" The big man laughed, holding Calill limply with one arm.

"Of course, Largo! However, a delicate woman such as myself can become mighty exhausted after such a big battle such as this one," Calill chided tartly, slapping the berserker's arm with her book. "Now, put me down you big oaf!"

"Well, you young lady are looking just fine at least!" Largo commented to Nephenee, letting Calill down to the ground. Nephenee smiled shyly.

"I guess it's from the training I put in. It helps a lot," she replied. "Either way, I'm just glad that this is over… When the commander and the king were fighting… It was amazing. I never saw anything like it before, and I thought that it'd go on forever, but then it was over…"

"Enough chit-chat! Let us go give our congratulations to General Ike!" Calill interrupted, standing up straight and tall once more. "After that, I'd like to wash up and perhaps then we can have some festivities! This dull marching army life is beginning to bore me, and what better excuse for a merry gathering than the defeat of the Daein king and the recapture of Crimea?"

Smiling, Nephenee followed in the sage's brisk footsteps—with Largo not far behind—as they climbed up the large staircases to the group gathering at its summit.

* * *

Geoffrey carefully wormed his way through the large throng of people, making his way to the long banquet tables lined up along the side of the walls. The gigantic ballroom was filled to the brim with everyone of the army and any nobility in the vicinity. It was nearly eleven o'clock of the evening, and nobody showed signs of retiring. This night would be a long one indeed. 

The paladin could not believe that, merely four hours ago, they had defeated Daein in their mad conquest. It was amazing that the final fight had been so swift. They had started the assault before the crack of dawn, and still managed to finish it in the same day. Lady Luck must've been on their side for them to pull such a victory out of the hat.

What was more amazing yet was how quick Bastian had been able to organize this… social. In less than two hours, he had managed to find enough servants and cooks and set up this entire hall. Sure, it had no decorations, and only a partially broken chandelier and many torches lit the room, but there was food a plenty and musicians to boot.

Most of the occupants of the room were dressed in clean and plain clothing, the only ones available to them. Here and there, however, were some dressed in more fancy clothing; such as the princess and her retainers. Geoffrey himself wore a beautiful velvet tunic of the deepest shade of black. It had gold trimming and went with the dark soft trousers he wore. He was not entirely sure how he somehow had this hidden at the bottom of his clothes trunk, though he suspected Bastian of the deed.

Finally reaching one of the long rectangular tables, he glanced at the food sitting upon its white-clothed surface. He picked up a cup and scooped some kind of punch into it and drank deeply, leaning against the smooth stone wall. Letting the music of the small band float into his ears, he began to tune out and relax.

It wasn't until he realized that someone, standing two feet away from him, had been there for quite awhile before he raised his head and blinked perplexedly. Focusing again, he realized that it was Nephenee.

Realizing that Geoffrey had finally taken notice of her, she blushed and froze, not too sure what to do next. She had been meaning to make conversation with him, since she was somewhat bored and had no one else to speak with. Calill was busy flaunting about and enjoying the sophistication of the party, and she had been in Brom's company for the past hour already. However, when she had approached the paladin, he seemed deep in thought and she hadn't had the nerve to disturb him.

"Ah, Nephenee…" he greeted with a smile, pushing himself off the wall. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Er… Yeah, I guess so. I mean, I've never been to a big party with so many rich people like this before," the girl replied, glancing around nervously before she returned her gaze to the man in front of her.

"Oh yeah, that's right, this would be your first time to such an event as this," Geoffrey remarked. "Well, it'll certainly be a grand experience, one I'm sure that your friends back home will enjoy listening to." She nodded with a slight shrug of her shoulders.

A silence fell between them and Geoffrey took this moment to examine the halberdier. Her helmet was once more removed and it seemed that she had put a brush through her long hair, making it seem like a mass of the frothy sea. He suddenly realized that she was not wearing her normal attire. Instead, she wore a short-sleeved country dress. A pale blue of colour, it reached down to her ankles and a brown belt was tied about her waist. It was simplistic, but it suited her perfectly.

"Oh! I just noticed your dress. It looks… very pretty on you," he remarked with a sincere grin, though a slight hint of pink tinged his cheek despite his calm demeanour. The smile only widened when Nephenee flushed with embarrassment.

"Uh… I-I kept it with my clothes, since my Ma made it for me and it reminded me of my family and such… I didn't think I'd ever use it, but then there was this big thing and Calill told me to put something nice on. She said that if I didn't find something that she'd make me wear one of her big fancy dresses, and I didn't want that, so…" Her voice died away slowly as she became conscious of her rambling. "Um… thanks…"

"I wonder how you would look like in one of Calill's dresses, though. It would've been a sight!" he said with a laugh.

"Th-That's not funny!" Nephenee retorted, feeling even more humiliated. Though deep down inside she too wondered how she would look like. After all, it was normal of any country girl to wonder how it would feel to wear fancy clothing like the ones that Calill wore.

Before they could say anything else, however, the two's heads perked up at the change of tune from the band. The light and quick beat of the previous song had died down and a new softer melody had begun. The strokes of the violin were long and had a slight trill to it that added a bit of country to its tune. A flute and clarinet soon joined in with their soft and droning sounds, and then the brassy blasts of a cornet followed. The song was slow enough that quite a few people had started to slowly pair off and dance. Many of the nobles started a waltz variation to it and the song grew in volume.

Nephenee stared into nothing, surprised at the song being played. It was the song that she so often heard her mother sing, and the same tune that Geoffrey had hummed in her tent so many nights ago. Suddenly, she became aware of a calloused hand in front of her face.

"Would you care to dance?" Geoffrey smiled, his eyes a bit clouded over, causing them to take on a dreamy state. Blushing, her hand tentatively accepted his and she was led out into the dance floor.

Feeling her body being drawn closer to his, Nephenee could not help but to stiffen up and she nearly stumbled as Geoffrey led her on with the dance. At that moment, she realized that she did not know the steps to the waltz. She had danced before, but they had all been the simple country line dances that were held at the various parties in the nearby village.

"G-Geoffrey, I don't know how… to do this…" she murmured quietly, looking down nervously at her awkwardly moving feet. Without even looking up, she could see a smile on the paladin's face.

"Not a problem, just follow my lead. It's not difficult and you'll pick up fast," the young man stated, taking her into a quick spin. The country lass barely caught on and she just managed not to trip.

_Easier said than done…_ she thought to herself as she attempted to follow Geoffrey's movements. However, in a few more steps she soon found herself slowly becoming accustomed to the swift and fluid glides. Nephenee could predict the next spin or change in direction and the dance became easier.

Nearly halfway through the song, she found that she was enjoying herself and that the dance was not nearly as hard as it had seemed in the beginning. Now, it felt as if she were flowing along with the melody, and it was very soothing. Time moved languidly around her and she was only aware of the faint humming of the song and of the man she danced with.

Nephenee could feel the warmth of his hands; one on her waist, the other clasped in hers. She was nearly pressed against his broad chest and she could smell the scent of his clothing and an odour that she could only identify as his. Combined with the music, it was almost nauseating, yet she very much enjoyed it.

Lost in the dance, she was barely conscious of the fact that the tune was slowly drawing to a close. The quartet of instruments began to end the song, the ending beats quieting and ending. It was not until the last quavers of the violinist's strokes that Nephenee realized that she had stopped moving.

Emerging from her trance, she blinked slowly and looked up. Geoffrey's shining eyes stared down at her, a big grin on his handsome features. She could not help smiling back; the dance had been a great experience, one that she had never undergone. It had been exhilarating, she felt as if her and Geoffrey had been one, flowing together from step to step. Tonight was one that she would never forget.

Letting herself be drawn away from the centre of the room, Geoffrey led her to one of the refreshment tables. Pouring himself a drink, he offered her one. Taking it carefully, she took a slow sip and let the liquid roll down her parched throat. Who would have thought that dancing took so much out of you? Swallowing another mouthful, Nephenee's eyes flickered awkwardly to Geoffrey, she was unsure of what to say next.

"You danced wonderfully," Geoffrey said in her place with a sincere smile. "You did very well for one who has never waltzed before."

"Thanks…" She blushed, looking away from him. Her eyes fell upon the quartet of musicians, whom were now resting and had stopped playing. Staring at them, she thought that two of them looked familiar.

"They're quite young, aren't they?" the paladin remarked, following her gaze. "Bastian could not find any of the court players, but somehow he found those youths wandering one of the tunnels leading out of the castle. Turns out that they're all students of one of the court composers; they had escaped the Daein soldiers when they took over the castle but they hid in and around the castle. It's amazing how they survived so long… Though, they are quite talented for their age."

Nephenee nodded wordlessly, absorbing what Geoffrey had recited. The performers were very young indeed; no older than fourteen or fifteen. However, that was not what bothered her. Without saying anything, she began making her way towards the group of musicians. Confused, but not questioning her, Geoffrey followed in her footsteps.

Approaching the band, Nephenee's footsteps quickened; she knew half of them. As she drew nearer, the young heads looked up and stared at the coming pair. The flute player's dark roan eyes widened as she saw Nephenee.

"Nephenee!" the young raven-haired girl cried, frozen to the spot. The tall violinist next to her also gaped at the person nearing them, her green-grey eyes just as big as her neighbour's.

"Tonnie! Lenne!" Nephenee cried, taking each girl into an embrace. The other two musicians stared with wide eyes and Geoffrey frowned quizzically.

"What… What are you doing here?" Lenne, the violinist asked, pushing a lock of her long wavy brown hair behind her ear.

"I should be asking you the same thing!" Nephenee retorted, but she smiled. "Anyway, I was part of General Ike's army!"

"You're not serious!" The clarinet player exclaimed, not able to hold his voice. Suddenly realizing his outburst, the boy blushed and looked away.

"Of course she's serious! Neph doesn't _lie_!" Tonnie, the flute player, replied with a scowl. She lightly smacking the blond-haired, blue-eyed youth across the back of his head. "We've known her since _forever_!"

"… I'm a little confused here…" Geoffrey spoke up, looking back and forth between the group of musicians and Nephenee.

"Oh! Er… Sorry 'bout this," Nephenee flushed. Waving a hand at the two girls, she began to explain. "These two girls come from the village near my farm. Tonnie and Lenne, they're cousins. I used to watch them when their parents were away; they always played together with my sisters. Only a few years ago, they came to the capital to try and pursue careers in music. I didn't know that they were accepted as students to the court composer!"

"Ah… It makes sense now," the aqua-haired man replied, examining the youths. Though he had not recognized Tonnie and Lenne, he could recall seeing the other two before. The curly-haired cornet player was the son of one of the noblemen that managed a small estate nearby. Caj was his name if he remembered correctly. The blond was named Leslie and he was one of the court performer's son; his hair had grown much longer, reaching his shoulders, so that Geoffrey had not been able to identify him right away.

"I remember you two now." He nodded to the two boys. "I've seen you running errands around the castle or with the Master Composer."

"Y-Yes, Sir Geoffrey," the two boys replied simultaneously with small blushes of appreciativeness for a knight of such high ranking order to recognize them. "Just so the four of you know, I thought that you played beautifully; in a few years I think that you'll surpass the present court musicians." The youths beamed, their backs already standing straighter.

"W-Well, we're not quite there yet," Lenne stammered with embarrassment.

"But we _are_ the top of our class!" chirped Tonnie with no shame. Caj grinned in agreement, his hazel eyes shining with pride, and nodded while Leslie smiled knowingly.

"Anyway, you guys are great! Your parents would be proud of you," Nephenee said, looking fondly at the two girls.

"When everything's settled, we're gonna visit 'em! You should come with us! Everyone must be missing you!" replied Tonnie.

"Yeah, me and Tonnie will play something to celebrate your victory! The whole village will have a get-together and it'll be so much fun!" Lenne added.

"Of course, I'm sure it'll be great."

"And your boyfriend can come to!" The black-haired girl smirked mischievously. Nephenee's face reddened immediately and her mouth opened and closed without a word; unable to utter anything.

"T-Tonnie! That was rude!" Lenne exclaimed, horrified, staring at her cousin. Leslie on the other hand found the statement to be quite amusing.

"Hahaha, who would've thought that Sir Geoffrey, the one who was so smitten with P—" Before he could finish his sentence, Caj's hand quickly covered Leslie's mouth.

"You dunce! You're not supposed to say stuff like that!" This time, it was Geoffrey's turn to blush and he covered his face with one hand. Luckily, it seemed that Nephenee didn't suspect anything. The last thing he wanted was for her to find out his old… crush.

For awhile, the two boys continued to struggle, with Leslie muffling crossly through Caj's hand. He seemed to be saying something about breaking his clarinet. Soon, they were starting to attract curious stares… This was going to be a _long_ night…

* * *

"So, you're leaving now, then?" Geoffrey asked. 

"Yeah… It's about time that I went back home. I'll miss everyone here though…" Nephenee answered, looking down at the ground sadly.

"Cheer up, missy!" Calill said, slapping her on the back. "Your farm isn't far from here; you'll be able to visit anytime! Largo and I will be setting up a shop here in the capital, so be expecting visits from me!"

At this, Nephenee smiled. She was glad that she had a friend like Calill; the sage always knew what to say in any situation.

"Thanks, Calill."

"Well… I suppose you want to say your farewells to the General and everyone… So I'll let you go," said Geoffrey hesitantly. "… By the way… I'll be taking up on your offer as soon as everything is settled after the coronation."

"Er, alright…" Nephenee replied with a small blush, now remembering the suggestion she had made many weeks ago. Calill looked suspiciously between her two friends, but said nothing. "I guess this is good-bye for now, then."

"Yes, I suppose it is," Geoffrey smiled half-heartedly. The two stared at each other for a few moments in an awkward silence. Turning her back on them, Calill inconspicuously opened her Wind tome and muttered under her breath. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew towards Geoffrey and he was knocked forward, right into Nephenee.

As if out of a minstrel's song, the paladin fell towards the green-haired girl and in his fall, he landed a glancing kiss on her cheek. Immediately, the two recoiled away from each other, their cheeks bright red. Staring at nothing for a few long moments, it took a little while longer for them to recovery… and for something to snap inside their heads.

"CALILL!"

* * *

Weeelllll, that's the end of that chapter. I tried to make it longer than usual (and I did, just so you know), so that I wouldn't feel bad if my next update took a long time. 

Oscar: If you don't procrastinate on your exam projects, you'll have plenty of time to work on the next chapter.

FireEdge: Fat chance of that! Oh yeah, and also, the next chapter is going to be the last one! Haha, I bet I caught you all off-guard there, huh? But, seriously, next time it's the epilogue. It'll _probably_ be pretty long since I was thinking of doing two more chapters instead of one, so yeah…

Oscar: Well, that's… good I suppose?

FireEdge: I would not know… I never do. Anyway, I hope you'll all forgive me for my spontaneous addition of those four OCs. I just had my year end band concert and I was in a music-y mood. So, "Why don't I make some OC musicians?" thought I, and so they were born (it helped to add some spice to Neph's past anyway). They'll make an appearance in the final chapter, and possibly cameo in future fics if I need musicians… Hahaha…

Oscar: Please review… and until next time!

--FireEdge--


	6. Chapter 6

Hello everyone! School's finally over for me, and now I'm FREE! Free, I say!

Oscar: Since you're free, you should be able to update quicker, right?

FireEdge: … Maybe… Well, anyway. As you all know, this is supposed to be the last chapter. But, then, I was struck by inspiration and I decided to make an extra chapter. So, in a nutshell, this is the SECOND-last chapter. :D

Oscar: We'll assume that this is a good thing.

FireEdge: Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. And even if you don't it should make the (eventual) ending seem less… sudden, I guess. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

**With A Bit Of Magic**

**Chapter 6**

Geoffrey let out a long sigh as he dropped a pile of papers onto his desk. The package of documents was nearly two inches thick; and to make matters worse, he had to read through them all by the end of the day. Being one of the army's generals wasn't easy; especially at a time like this. The rebuilding of a country was no simple task.

Sitting down in the stiff wooden chair, Geoffrey drew the pile towards him and shuffled in his desk drawer. Finding his quill, he opened up an ink jar and set it nearby. Scanning the contents of the paper, his mind started to wander and the words seemed to graze off his brain and not absorbing. Of course, this led him to reading the same paragraph over and over again.

At this slow pace, he soon found himself on the fifth page… after an hour of reading. Looking up from the page, he turned his head to look out the window. Paperwork didn't suit him (though he tried his best for Elincia's sake); it always took him many days to complete a pile, much to the irritation of the clerks and magistrates. Usually he procrastinated by simply staring out the window; just like he was doing now…

He could see the green fields past the castle walls; the tall uncut grass blew slightly in the feeble summer breeze and he could smell the sticky sweet fragrance of the flowers from the garden beneath his window. The paladin really did like this view; it let him imagine that he was riding over those grasslands on his steed. If only he could do that now. In fact, why _not_ now? He had done enough paperwork for the moment; it wasn't like he could concentrate anyway.

Standing up and brushing off some of the remaining sand grains that he had used off his hands, he placed a paperweight on his work and started for the door. As he stepped outside, he saw his sister coming towards him.

"Geoffrey!" she called, quickening her pace. "I was just looking for you! Some of the clerks were wondering if you finished checking over the armour order forms."

"Er… I'm working on it," Geoffrey replied with a practiced straight face. Staring at him for a moment, Lucia's eyes narrowed; she always _could_ tell when he was lying.

"Brother… If you're not finished, why are you not sitting at your desk finishing it?" the blue-haired swordmaster demanded, arms crossed. "It's not like you to slack off on any duty."

"You know I don't like paperwork, especially in the summer time," the other protested.

"NO one does. But, you don't see us complaining! Now, get back into that office!" With a swift shove, she managed to push her older brother into the room from whence he came. "I'll be back in an hour."

_Ah… The life of a noble isn't what it's cut out to be… _Geoffrey mused, setting to work again.

About an hour later, Geoffrey yawned and pushed himself away from the desk. Surprisingly, he had managed to finish it all and he smiled. Flexing his stiff fingers, he stood up and gathered all the sheets and tied them with a piece of cut string. Taking it up, he walked out of his office.

Strolling down the hallways, he headed towards the scribes' and clerks' office. He figured that if he dropped off his papers there, it'd be faster than waiting for Lucia to return. Entering said room; he handed his pile to one of the assistants and swiftly left the room before they had any ideas about giving him more.

Glancing out a nearby window, he grinned triumphantly; the sun was still high in the sky. He had plenty of time for a quick ride. In fact, he thought that he might go into town, even.

* * *

"Geoffrey!" Calill exclaimed as the paladin pulled up outside her shop. 

"Hello, Calill," he replied, dismounting his horse and tying it to a post. "I don't have much work to do today, so I figured that I'd pay you a visit."

"Yes, that's very kind of you, indeed. It's nice to have some civilized companionship; Largo does get dull after a while," the sage agreed with a nod.

"I see that you're doing well. In fact, it seems that you've renovated since I last came," Geoffrey remarked, looking around the shop. The sun shining through the large windows shed light upon the store's wares. Various glass display cases held trinkets and many bookshelves lined the pale red walls of the store. A beautiful wooden counter sat near the back wall of the shop.

"We received some new books recently, and I think we might start offering new merchandise. We're not entirely sure yet, however," Calill answered. "Anyway, come to the back, and we'll chat. I have some tea that I think you'll like."

After settling down at a small table in the cozy back room, the two friends talked for nearly an hour. The last time Geoffrey had seen her was nearly half a year ago, when the shop had opened. They chatted about the progress of the rebuilding, which was going quite well since they were only a year in.

"Well, now that the castle is much more settled, what have you been doing with your spare time?" Calill asked curiously. The paladin shrugged.

"Recently, I've been stuck with paperwork. The Queen is merely greeted by lesser nobility and by the local peasants more than any important ambassadors, so she doesn't need me by her side as much these days. In fact, most of her time is taken up by papers also. Lucia mostly helps her out with that," he resumed. "I'd love to take some time off for myself, but I can't do that to Elincia. She still needs me to sort things out with the army…"

"Hmm, well, as you've said; everything is much more settled. Why _not_ take a day off and go riding. Say, in the country? It's quite pleasant; I think it'd do you good." Geoffrey immediately recognized the tone of voice that the sage was using and looked at her sharply. There was that glint in her blue eyes that always indicated some sort of mischief.

"Calill!"

"You _did _promise to visit her, you know. Since you want to take a break, it's the perfect time to fulfill that vow," chided the blonde woman. "If you don't know where her farm is, I can easily give you directions. I just dropped in a short time ago; a very nice place."

"Ah… Well… I suppose," Geoffrey replied hesitantly. Despite his tone, he was quite excited. He hadn't seen Nephenee since she had left after the war. He really did want to see her, but he had an obligation to uphold. "However, only if I'm not needed at the castle."

"That's what I wanted to hear." She smiled and began to write on a piece of paper instructions on how to find Nephenee's home.

* * *

Cantering down the gravel road, the wind blew his aqua locks everywhere, sometimes obscuring his vision. Dust flew about his face and he had to squint slightly to see past the sand and grime. Slowing down his horse, Geoffrey turned down a narrower path as he reached a fork in the road. 

As his steed trotted along at a comfortable pace, Geoffrey stood in his stirrups and covered his eyes with one hand. Narrowing his eyes, he could make out the outlines of a small rural village. With a smile, he sat back down and nudged his horse to go faster. He was finally here.

When he entered the village, he soon dismounted. It would probably have been faster to go about on horseback, but he was attracting stares from the inhabitants. Rarely did they get visitors, especially one with such a magnificent white stallion. Though he was dressed in plain trousers and riding tunic, it was easy to tell that they were made of good materials. Along with his nearly perfect posture and the way he carried himself, it was easy to identify him as a noble or as a rich urbanite.

Geoffrey was somewhat lost. The villagers seemed to be in awe of him, frightened of him, or suspicious of him. He wasn't sure which ones he should ask for the exact whereabouts of Nephenee's farm. Calill's instructions could only go so far. On another note, he had to make sure that he was in the right town.

Taking in a deep breath, he began to approach a friendly looking man who was sweeping the dirt off of his doorstep with an old straw broom. He had thinning brown hair and glasses. His eyes were focused on his job, and didn't notice the paladin approaching him until the shadow from his horse fell across the ground in front of him.

Looking up, the man's eyes widened and he stared with confusion for a few seconds. Shaking his head slowly, the man smiled shyly.

"G'afternoon stranger, do you need something?"

"Ah, actually, I was wondering if you know a girl by the name of Nephenee; tall with long green hair? She lives on a farm by here, but I'm not too sure how to get there," Geoffrey asked.

"Oh yes! I know her! She's a good lass, helps her mother take care of the other children. She lives about less than a mile from here. Just go that way and follow the road." The man pointed towards the small village's south entrance.

"Thank you, kind sir." Geoffrey nodded and swung up on his horse once more and headed towards where the man had directed.

Watching the stranger leave, the man began his sweeping once more. From behind him, he heard light footsteps running down the nearby stairs in his house.

"Da!" Lenne called, poking her head out of the doorway. "Where's th—" She cut short as she saw the rear end of a magnificent horse trotting out of the village gates.

"Lenne, shouldn't you be getting ready to head back to Melior? Hmm? What are you gawking at?"

"Da! Was that Sir Geoffrey!" The brown-haired girl said as she recovered from her shock.

"He's a knight? Well, he certainly seemed important. But, no, he never said his name," her father replied lightly.

"Why was he here?"

"He said he was looking for Neph."

"… So, it _is_ Sir Geoffrey," the young girl mused. "I bet Neph'll be real happy to see him! Well, I'm gonna go finish packing. I'm supposed to be back by tomorrow morning." With that, she turned and ascended the stairs to her room. _Heehee, wait 'til Tonnie hears 'bout this!

* * *

_

Slowing down, Geoffrey took in a sharp breath as his eyes fell upon the farm in front of him. The fair-sized tilled field was neat and tidy with rows upon rows of crops sprouting. There was an old stone well nearby with a large watering can next to it. A small tool shed sat close by, a hoe was propped up against its side.

A small walk's away stood an average farmhouse attached to a small barn; the red paint on its walls was peeling yet still vibrant. Farther away was a shed full of what he assumed to be fodder. He could hear the sounds of a cow from somewhere.

Trotting down the small pathway that led to the front steps of the red farm house, he caught a glimpse of the back fields. The man could see somewhat cut grass and he spotted the edge of an orchard of trees. Unable to resist, he nudged his horse towards the back.

Coming around the back of the farm, he smiled. The small orchard was beautiful; the trees were neatly trimmed and he could spot some small apples still on its branches. From his position, he could even spot the small pasture behind the barn. A large cow mooed at him from across the field. There was even an old horse in the pasture, looking at the stranger lazily.

Suddenly, the paladin heard a high-pitched squeak coming from behind him. Whipping his head around and subsequently whirling his warhorse around in a ready position, he felt for his short spear. There, standing in the doorway of the barn's back door was a young girl. Her shoulder-length pale green hair was tied with a kerchief at the nape of her neck and her blue eyes were wide with surprise and fear.

Relaxing, Geoffrey moved his hand away from its position on the spear. Dismounting, in an attempt to seem less intimidating, he smiled at the young girl. She seemed just barely into her teens and she fumbled with the rake that she held as she tried to back up.

"I'm sorry if I scared you. I didn't mean to intrude, but does Nephenee live here?" Geoffrey called to the girl. She continued to stare at him with wide eyes, but then she dropped the rake and ran inside the barn.

Blinking, Geoffrey's eyebrows furrowed and he frowned. Did he just scare her off? Or was she actually fetching someone? In a few minutes, the latter came true. The girl returned, except this time an older woman in her forties came with her.

"Well met, sir. What d'you be doing on ma property?" the woman asked politely, but firmly. She had long green hair, streaked with bits of grey, which was pinned up in a loose bun. Strands of her hair fell about her weathered and kind face.

"Ah, yes, I'm sorry for the intrusion, ma'am. However, I'm looking for Nephenee. Does she live here?" he asked. The paladin was almost positive that this was indeed the farm that she resided on. For the woman in front of him, who must be her mother, looked very much like her. Though Nephenee's hair was a shade lighter and her eyes were of a different colour.

"… Who are ya to ask?" she said instead.

"Oh! How rude of me. My name is Geoffrey; I'm one of Queen Elincia's retainers. Nephenee fought with me when she served in the army," he introduced. The woman's eyes widened and she stared at him for what seemed like hours. Perhaps he should've held off on being one of Elincia's retainers…

However, the woman needn't reply, for both their heads turned as a new voice called out from inside the farmhouse.

"Ma! What's going on?" Nephenee herself walked out of the house's backdoor and looked around. Eyes falling on the group of people in her yard, her mouth fell open.

"Ge-Geoffrey?" she choked out, her eyes nearly bulging out of her head. In a few seconds, she was out the door and standing in front of him, a light shade of pink adorning her cheeks. "What are you doing here?"

"Long time no see." He smiled. "I apologize for arriving so abruptly, but I didn't know how I could inform you beforehand."

"It's okay, I guess… er…" Nephenee turned to look at her mother and younger sister. "Ma, this is Geoffrey. He's a friend of mine from when I was with the army."

"So, you weren't lying…" her mother said, looking him up and down. With a shrug she said, "He's good enough. Come along, Caria." Taking the other girl by the hand, she led her back into the house without a glance back.

Flushing to her ears, she stared at the retreating form of her mother. Nephenee sincerely hoped that Geoffrey hadn't heard her mother's last comment. Glancing back, she inwardly sighed as she saw the oblivious look on his face.

"You have a nice family," Geoffrey remarked, breaking the silence.

"That's only half of them," replied the green-haired girl. "Anyway, why did you decide to come to visit? I imagined that you'd kinda forgot about that… er… night. If you know what I mean. It was so long ago and such and you've probably been busy and stuff."

"Ah… Actually, I have been busy. The first few months after you left were really hectic. Then there was Elincia's coronation. After that, we had hundreds of ambassadors pouring in. Despite all that, I never forgot your offer. Everything's calmed down now, though."

"Oh, really? That's good," Nephenee said, looking past him, trying desperately to cover her blush.

She could not believe that he was standing in front of her! The first few weeks of her return were a total uproar. Everyone was happy to see her back; there were celebrations for her safe return and for the victory of the Liberation Army. She was treated like a hero and it felt great. After all the excitement had subsided, Nephenee's life was back to the way it had been before she had left.

All these months, her mind would sometimes wander back to her time with the army. She really did miss everyone there, especially Geoffrey and Calill. In fact, Calill had just paid her a visit less than a month ago. It was a wonderful surprise. Of course, seeing the sage had reminded her of the paladin, and the urge to see him too had risen.

"So, how have you been?" Geoffrey asked. Unlike Nephenee, he couldn't tear his eyes away from her. He could not believe that he had actually come to see her. As more and more time had passed, he had begun to think that coming might not be good idea. Some part of his brain kept telling him that Nephenee had forgotten about him, or that she had found… someone else to occupy herself with. The second thought always sent an uncomfortable prickling sensation through his brain.

"Oh, I've been great! You should have seen how everyone welcomed me back! I think I know how General Ike might've felt!" she replied with a genuine smile, letting her eyes meet with his for a moment. "Um… Yeah, so how long before you have to head back? I know you're busy and all."

"I have all day. I'm not expected to return until tonight."

"Well, that's good," she said. "Oh! I have an idea. I don't think you'd want to just sit around all day. So, why don't I show you something?"

"Sure, that sounds fine." Nephenee ran into her house and returned a few minutes later with a large sack in her hands.

"All right, let's go!" she said enthusiastically, walking swiftly out of the yard and down the side of the fields.

A bit flustered, Geoffrey followed behind her. Walking in silence, Geoffrey took this time to absorb in the beauty of the countryside. It was much different than merely the fields around the capital. The air smelled crisp and fresh, and the floral life seemed much more vivid and alive. He always did like the country.

"Here we are," Nephenee stated as they neared a small bunch of trees. Staring at them for a moment, Geoffrey slowly recognized them. They were the same kind of trees that he had seen Nephenee picking beedle nuts from.

The green-haired girl turned to face him, a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Since you seemed to really like 'em last time, I thought maybe that you'd like to take some back with you." Geoffrey smiled and walked over to the tree so that he stood next to her.

Looking at her for a second from the corner of his eyes, an overwhelming impulse nagged at him. Then, deciding to follow it—and before he could let sense take over—he quickly leaned down and gave her a swift kiss.

"Thank you."

* * *

Whoo! So who liked the super corny ending:D No one? That's okay, I don't care. I was all inspired at first, and then by the end of the chapter my brain went all slacky. Probably because I'm itching to get back to playing my new video game… 

Oscar: Tsk tsk, bad!

FireEdge: No, good. It's a good game… Ahem, anyway… The beginning scene, I think, might've portrayed Geoffrey kinda OOC, but it was more fun to write about how he hated paperwork rather than how he loved it. So, forgive me for that. This chapter isn't as descriptive (on their thoughts), but on the bright side, it's pretty long. Oh yeah, also, I'm not sure if Melior is actually the name of Crimea's capital, so if it's wrong, someone tell me.

Oscar: So, please review and look forward to the epilogue! _Hopefully_, it'll be up in a week or so.

--FireEdge--


	7. Epilogue

Hello, everyone! Sorry for the delay, but I've been lazy recently and I had to drag myself to my computer.

Oscar: You know you had to do it eventually.

FireEdge: Blllleeh. Anyway, I decided to try something new with this chapter. So, I hope that you will all like it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

**With A Bit Of Magic**

**Epilogue**

Calill's lips parted as she carefully painted it with a practised hand. Slightly powdering her face, she proceeded to brushing on a light layer of blush. Finishing up her eye shadow, the sage fell into a very pleasant mood.

It was a little over two years ago that the great war against Daein had ended. Since then her life had become very prosperous. Alongside Largo, she had opened up a small gift shop. A year ago, they finally achieved their dream of building an inn. True to her words, it was dubbed: "General Ike's Inn".

Business boomed because of the name, even if some were dubious. Once, Calill had even managed to convince Ike to stay there for a night. No one doubted the name afterwards. Their inn was also popular with many of the Crimean soldiers when they were looking for an alternative to a tavern. There was never a shortage of customers, and now the two owners were fairly rich.

Her life was, simply put, superb. Today, another marvellous event would take place: the wedding of two of her closest friends. It didn't _really_ involve the woman specifically, but seeing the fruit of her devious intervention would be very satisfying.

Patting her lustrous blonde hair as she inserted the last pin, she stepped back from her vanity and admired her reflection in the mirror. Inspecting every inch of her thin frame, Calill meticulously smoothed out a wrinkle in her dress. Pleased with what she saw, the sage picked up her purse ands started for the wedding grounds.

* * *

"Oh NO!" wailed a blond young man. "Not another one!" 

"_What_ are you moaning about _now_, Les!" demanded Tonnie, looking up from polishing her silver flute.

"My stupid reed broke! I just replaced it last week!"

"Well, that's your own fault! Stop bellyaching and hurry up! We have to set up, tune up and change our clothes," Caj retorted with a long sigh. The wedding was less than four hours away, and the tension in the air crackled.

"I still can't believe that Sir Geoffrey asked _us_ to play at his wedding! You'd think that there'd be a professional ensemble for the marriage of one of the Queen's retainers!" Lenne said, stars in her green-grey eyes.

"Pfft, who says we _aren't_ professionals?" Tonnie added with snicker.

"I heard that Lady Lucia had argued with Sir Geoffrey about who would play. In the end, Count Bastian intervened and declared that having us play would be more 'romantic'," Leslie commented as he eyed his selection of reeds. "Well, that's what I heard. Pretty ridiculous, what the Count said, if you ask me."

"Hmph, _you'd_ be the first to know all about true love, Leslie!" rebutted Tonnie with a roll of her eyes.

"Let's not argue. We should be honoured that we received this opportunity. We'll play with all our hearts and then _no one_ will have second thoughts about choosing us," Caj interrupted.

"Wasn't that a little… cheesy, Caj?" Lenne inquired. Of course, she did not receive a reply. "All right, then… So are we ready to set up the stage?"

"Might as well," Leslie shrugged, taking his reed out of his mouth. Lenne set her violin down and the four musicians filed out of the room.

Reaching the castle's back gates, they passed through and looked around. Their eyes fell upon a large decorated clearing a hundred, or so, feet away. Even from where they stood they could see that it would be a fairly large wedding.

As the quartet approached, they eyed the work of the royal servants. They had set up tall wooden stakes on the extremities of the area. Long, silk ribbons stretched between the tops of each post and fluttered in the gentle breeze. Spread out in neat rows on the manicured grass sat long wooden benches. They resembled those found in the local churches. Huge white bows were tied to their sides, making them seem as if they were gift-wrapped. There were even bits of confetti scattered here and there, sometimes mixed in with tiny flower petals.

At the front, a big, wooden pedestal—also wrapped in a ribbon—stood for the priest. Above this towered a large arc; painted white and intertwined with lengths of pale satin. Off to the side of the pedestal rested a low flat stage.

"Ugh, even _this_ is decorated with ribbons!" Leslie commented with a grimace and a slightly disgusted look.

"Yeah, even _I_ have to agree that it's _just_ a bit overdone," added Tonnie.

"Let's hope that whoever made these designs didn't hear that," Caj remarked, throwing a quick glace over his shoulder.

"What are you wary for? We don't even know which one of these guys is in charge!" Lenne signed. "Well, let's get started…"

Joining Lenne on the stage, they rearranged their stands and sorted out their various pieces of sheet music. Lastly, they lined up four chairs near the back of the platform for when they weren't needed.

When they finished and were about to return inside, they spotted someone familiar admiring the decorations.

"Miss Calill!" Tonnie exclaimed, walking over to greet her. The others followed on her heels. As they approached, the sage turned to meet them.

"Why, _look_ at you two!" Calill remarked, examining Tonnie and Lenne. "You've both grown since I saw you last year!"

"Um, thank you?"

"In fact, soon, I think that the two of you will have suitors of your own! You're nearly the right age; I think you're fifteen or sixteen now? Perhaps they'll be just as gorgeous as Geoffrey. Who knows, maybe they'll be nobles—" As Calill continued on and on, the two girls flushed in dismay while the other two stared in horror at what they saw to be the twisted reincarnation of cupid.

"M-Miss Calill! Shouldn't you be with Neph? I-I mean, wouldn't she need you right now?" stammered Lenne frantically.

"Oh, that's right! The poor lass must be terribly flustered!" Calill gasped, fingertips pressed lightly to her mouth. Then she gave her usual impish smile. "I suppose I'll take my leave now! Best of luck with your performance later! Ta-ta!" With a wave of her fingers, the sage walked off in the direction of the castle.

"Wow, she's scary," Caj stated, hazel eyes wide.

"If I didn't know better, I'd think that she had frightened Neph and Sir Geoffrey into loving each other…" Tonnie replied, watching Calill's colourful form retreating.

"I can't believe you said that with a straight face," Leslie remarked wryly as he jumped off the stage. It wasn't long before the other three followed suit and they ran to the castle, shaking Calill out of their heads, and began to prepare for their biggest performance yet.

* * *

Calill had to nearly control her laughter as she stepped into the room. The bride-to-be sat on a stool in the middle of the room with half a dozen ladies-in-waiting surrounding her. The young woman was half dressed and seemed to be in shock; her eyes wide and staring into nothing. 

Reducing her amusement to a smile, Calill brushed past the confused women and placed a gloved hand on Nephenee's shoulder.

"Tsk, look at you missy! You look like you just crawled out of bed! You're not even _close_ to being ready!" At the feel of Calill's hand, Nephenee's head swivelled on her shoulders. Seeing her friend, a grin spread on her lips.

"Calill! You don't know how glad I am to see you!" she exclaimed. "All these people have been all over me for hours! I don't even know what's going on anymore!"

"Not to worry! I'll have you all dolled up in a jiffy," the sage replied. Clapping her hands together twice, she addressed the crowd in the room. "Ladies, if you would do as I say?"

Without even waiting for an answer, Calill began to order the lot of women around. Realizing that resistance was futile, they fetched what the sage asked for and helped her as she began to prepare the bride.

After a mere ten minutes, Nephenee's face emanated horror as Calill altered her appearance. Perhaps the sage wasn't quite the saviour she had expected.

* * *

"Ah! Geoffrey! It is time!" sang Bastian, flourishing his cape as he bowed the aqua-haired paladin to the door. "Once you step o'er these doors, your azure orbs shall marvel at the site where you shall intertwine your heart, soul and mind with the maiden of your dreams!" 

"Enough, Bastian," Geoffrey sighed. "I'm nervous enough without you spewing all this drabble."

"It is certainly _not_ drabble, dear Geoff! 'Tis _poetry_," the sage retorted. "Ah, but I should not expect the mind of a knight to understand the complexity of such a matter."

"Er, right."

"I must say, though you say you are uneasy, you hold yourself very calmly," Bastian noted. He swept his eyes over the form of the paladin. The blue-haired man looked very dashing in his white and gold attire. "I'm also very pleased with how this outfit turned out! Of course, I predicted as much since I _did_ take the time to assure that your measurements were correct. You _do_ know that those materials were handpicked?"

"Yes, yes Bastian. You've told me before. Now, shouldn't we be going?" the groom asked. If Bastian hadn't known better, he'd think there was exasperation in his tone.

_My, he must be anxious!_ He thought to himself as he opened the wooden gate. "Now, Geoffrey, we go!"

* * *

The air was filled with whispers and murmurs of anticipation. All the rows of benches were filled with both nobles and country folk. The first two rows were filled with the closest friends and family of the bride and groom. 

The weather was warm and the sun shone through grey clouds. Perhaps it wasn't the best weather, but at least it wasn't raining.

Geoffrey stood underneath the arc; back straight, face impassive, his eyes staring ahead with an unwavering gaze. He looked very serious for someone who was about to be married. Despite his sombre visage, his eyes twinkled with an immeasurable energy.

A few minutes later, the four musicians stood up and gathered their various instruments. The crowd turned to look at the band as Lenne set her violin under her chin and the other three brought their mouthpieces to their lips. Then, as the first note of the Crimean wedding song flowed forth, the guests shifted their gaze to perceive the white-clad bride.

Nephenee made her way down between the rows of seats. She was followed by Calill and the eldest of her younger sisters, Sarah. When they reached the arc Calill and Sarah stepped off to the side to stand opposite of Bastian.

Once Nephenee arrived at the altar and settled next to Geoffrey, the musicians stopped their song. Soundlessly, they turned the pages of their music and sat down once more.

As the priest spoke, Tonnie glanced up at the sky. The clouds were much darker now and more gathered around the area above them. Maybe rain would be coming after all. Hopefully, it would fall after the wedding.

Nudging her cousin, the brown-haired girl followed Tonnie's gaze. Seeing the clouds, she inconspicuously nudged her violin case open. If it did pour, she'd need to put her instrument away quickly.

Returning their attention to the altar, they watched as the blushing pair exchanged vows and wedding bands. As soon as they kissed, the quartet jumped up and began playing once more.

Now, the servants were rushing in, ushering guests off the benches and pushing the benches out of the way. Food soon filled the empty tables they brought in, and in a mere twenty minutes, everything was ready to continue.

Just as the band had started to play their second dance piece, a strong gust of wind blew through the clearing. One fat raindrop fell, followed by another and another. Having already predicted the rain, the four musicians tossed their instruments into their cases and quickly gathered their music.

The guests, on the other hand, didn't seem to mind the rain for some reason (though a few ladies did complain about their hair). Since the band had stopped playing, the wedding-goers weren't very pleased. Of more importance, the newlyweds seemed distraught. Their reason, however, was quite different. It was obvious—to those who knew them well—that they wanted to be alone rather than being bombarded with people's questions, comments and congratulations.

From her own spot in the clearing, Calill watched the whole scene curiously. It had only taken her one glace at the young couple to know that this wasn't what they wanted. It was clear that they wanted to be by themselves, celebrating on their own. Anyway, why were these people so intent on staying out in the rain? If this shower turned into a storm, it could be dangerous.

Then, it struck her. These people needed a little help from Mother Nature to jumpstart their brains. Smiling, she extracted a book from her purse—which was surprisingly big enough—and flipped it open. The yellow tome shone briefly and she focused on a spot behind a mass of trees in the near distance.

BOOM! Thunder roared and a blinding flash of lighting lit up the sky. The earth beneath them shook slightly from the nearby impact. Even from here, they could smell the scent of burning.

"Great! Lighting! It hit close, too," Caj grumbled.

"I don't _care_ what these guys want to do! Rain is bad enough, I don't want to get struck by lighting!" added Leslie. He took a look around the clearing; all the guests finally looked flustered and some were murmuring about going indoors. They were _thinking_ about leaving, so it was a good enough excuse for _them_ to go. "All right, guys, let's get out of here!"

The four youths grabbed their things and dashed for the castle. It wasn't too long before many of the other more intelligent people followed as well. Eventually, the whole clearing became deserted. Only a handful of servants laboured to bring in what was valuable.

Calill glanced back at the wedding grounds and smiled. No one was left; including the newlyweds. She didn't even need to hear the exclamations coming from the other guests to know that the two were nowhere to be found.

Looking around, she found a chair and sat down, watching the aftermath of what had just happened. Glancing around the room they were all gathered in, she spotted the four young instrumentalists. They were glancing around the room, probably also searching for the missing couple. Then she saw their eyes fall on her.

Calill smiled cunningly and winked. The quartet gaped at her, eyes slightly wide. It seemed that they suspected her of what had just happened. The sage laughed; once again, her plans had succeeded without a hitch. Magic _truly_ was a wonderful thing.

* * *

There we go! I know that this chapter didn't focus _at all_ on the romance between Geoffrey and Nephenee, but this idea just popped into by head and I had to write it. Personally, I'm pleased with how it went. I'm very happy with this chapter, and it was fun to write from Calill's POV. I also thought that it was a very appropriate ending to this story. 

Oscar: So, we hope that you enjoyed it, too! Please review and tell FireEdge what you thought!

FireEdge: Until next time!

--FireEdge--


End file.
